A Kick in the Head

Season: 5
Episode: 11
Production Code: AM-511
First Air Date: February 4, 2002
Writer: David E. Kelley
Director: David Grossman & Jeannot Szwarc
# of Times Richard said Bygones: 0

Guest Stars:
Jon Bon Jovi as Victor Morrison
Hayden Panettiere as Maddie
Amy Pietz as Bonnie Boone
Albert Hall as Judge Seymore Walsh
Tim DeKay as Kendall Willis
Austin Tichenor as Tisbury
Richard Topol as ?
Mary Wickliffe as ?
Sy Smith as a singer
Vatrena King as a singer
Renee Goldsberry as a singer
Warren Sweenwy as Ken
Geoff Koch as ?
Rodderick Basoom as Foreman

Synopsis:

Ally’s got more at the back of her closet than that weird sniffing bottoms thing...

The case du jour finds a man hiring Richard to defend him against murder charges. According to John hiring Fish pretty well certifies one’s insanity, that- or as Richard points out the fact that Mr. Williams thought his wife’s head was a soccer ball. Shockingly it turns out that the guy has a brain tumor, which gave him the perfect alibi. Surprisingly Richard gave good summation and won the case.

Which quirks are more fun in the courtroom John’s or Richard’s?

Ally opens her door to this little genius Jodie Foster girl (Hayden Panettiere) thinking she might want to buy some thin mints. That’s when the bomb or pebble drops depending on your perspective. Maddie’s dad Robert Harrington recently passed away and it turns out that way back Ally was in an infertility study, there was a mix-up and voila, mini-law gal.

Do you like the idea of Ally having a ten-year-old or does it seem too convenient as a source of story?

There was other freshness, like say out with the seventies a.m. radio and in with TV tunes. Maddie’s Aunt Bonnie sings (natch), her act including everything from The Brady Bunch (sung to golden-haired Nelle) to The Mary Tyler Moore Show (dedicated to Ally). While she was doing encores, Victor played most handsomest babysitter alive; lending an ear as Maddie explained how she adores her Aunt but knows she’s not ready for motherhood.

Are you disappointed that so far Victor has been little more than lovely wallpaper?

Ally’s certainly got her hands full, she decided to take in her daughter; they fill the holes in one another’s hearts. The girl bid a tear-stained though not permanent goodbye to Aunt Bonnie. We’ve seen this insta-kid thing before (Who’s The Boss, Growing Pains, The Cosby Show, the list could fill volumes) however, Hayden is the only Jodie (as mentioned) meets Claire Danes meets the debut of Tatum O’Neal. In other words, the girl can act.

By the by, Glenn performed Ain’t That A Kick In The Head at the bar so apparently he’s still on the show, if you want a swinging Brit version instead buy a Robbie Williams CD.

©2002 Almost Human